Shloka 22
Dāyavibhāga (Inheritance Apportionment) and Household Precedence — Dialogue of Yudhiṣṭhira and Bhīṣma
भीष्मजीने कहा--भारत! मनुष्योंके हितसे सम्बन्ध रखनेवाला जो कोई भी कर्म है
bhīṣma uvāca | bhāryā patyṛtvijācāryāḥ śiṣyopādhyāya eva ca | mṛṣokte daṇḍam arhanti nety āhur apare janāḥ ||
毗湿摩说道：“噢，婆罗多啊！凡与人类福祉相关之事，皆须依既定之制（vyavasthā）而审定。诸贤共集，既已议定‘某女当许配某男’，此一成议便是婚姻之裁定。若有人以虚言颠覆此制，便当分受罪业。妻、夫、祭祀之祭官（ṛtvij）、师长（ācārya）、弟子与教导者（upādhyāya）——若其中任何一人违此成制而妄言，亦被认为应受惩罚；然而亦有人主张，这些人不应因此受罚。”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
False speech is ethically serious because it disrupts dharma and social arrangements meant for human welfare; therefore even socially respected roles (spouses, priests, teachers, students) can be liable to punishment for lying—though Bhishma notes that some authorities dispute this liability.
In Bhishma’s instruction on dharma, he discusses accountability for speech and conduct. He lists key social and religious roles and states that if they lie, they deserve punishment, while also recording an alternative opinion that exempts them.